![\"The](\"http:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/i\/pix\/2016\/10\/10\/22\/39493F8D00000578-0-The_number_of_candles_on_your_birthday_cake_might_not_reflect_yo-a-14_1476136343447.jpg\")
<\/p>\nHow old are you? It may seem a facile question, but in fact increasingly research suggests that the number of candles on your birthday cake might not reflect your body\u2019s age \u2014 with implications for your quality of life, and longevity.<\/p>\n
Just how differently our bodies age can be seen from a pioneering, but simple, new blood test developed by an international team of scientists.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The test is said to be the most accurate method yet of determining our biological age \u2014 that is, the age of our body\u2019s cells.<\/p>\n
The GlycanAge test analyses the levels of tiny sugar molecules (called glycans): It is designed to enable ordinary people test their real biological age \u2014 and just as importantly, help them track how lifestyle changes improve it.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The number of candles on your birthday cake might not reflect your body\u2019s age \u2014 with implications for your quality of life, and longevity<\/p>\n
Previously the most sophisticated method scientists had to test ageing was by looking at the length of the telomeres, which are a bit like the plastic caps that protect the end of shoelaces and sit on the ends of our strands of DNA \u2014 shorter telomeres mean your cells are ageing.<\/p>\n
But the international team launching the test say GlycanAge is a far more accurate measurement.<\/p>\n
Glycans attach to proteins in the immune system and it\u2019s now known that they form distinctive patterns on the protein molecules, and that these patterns change as we age<\/p>\n
As Tim Spector, a professor of genetic epidemiology at King\u2019s College London, who is part of team behind the test, explains: \u2018Large studies have found that these changes closely track our chronological age\u2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In other words, different patterns occur at different ages \u2014 so how much you vary from the norm for your age is a sign you\u2019re ageing at a slower \u2014 or faster \u2014 rate than most of your contemporaries.<\/p>\n The new test analyses the individual\u2019s glycan patterns, identifying the age to which they correspond.<\/p>\n Glycan changes show the effect of genes and lifestyle on your body. Lifestyle factors linked to glycan ageing include smoking, obesity, lack of exercise, poor diet, raised cholesterol and blood sugar levels, and chronic stress.<\/p>\n Glycan patterns also change with the menopause because of the drop in oestrogen, which protects against ageing.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u2018So while men tend to age at a steady rate from their 30s, women often age 50 per cent faster for five years after the menopause,\u2019 he says.<\/p>\n Poor sleep might also be a factor.<\/p>\n Glycan patterns change as a result of the menopause because of the drop in oestrogen, which protects against ageing<\/p>\n \u2019People vary a lot \u2014 there can be as much as 25 years\u2019 difference between your chronological and biological age,\u2019 says Professor Spector.<\/p>\n A \u2018bad result\u2019 may be a warning sign you\u2019re at greater risk of diseases such as diabetes \u2014 but could motivate you to change your habits and prevent future illness.<\/p>\n \u2018The good news for those who have an older biological age is that animal tests indicate that you can restore a younger pattern of glycans simply by overhauling your lifestyle,\u2019 says Professor Spector.<\/p>\n At 58, he has a glycan age of 42, which he puts down to recent improvements in his lifestyle \u2014 taking more exercise and swapping meat and processed food for lots of vegetables and dairy food.<\/p>\n So how old are you really is a question worth asking. And to find out just what this means, we asked six brave volunteers, all aged 55, to take this new age test, with some very surprising results.<\/p>\n WENT GREY IN HER 20S<\/span><\/p>\n Biological age: 34<\/span><\/p>\n Karen La Borde, who runs a business training ski instructors with her husband, lives near Penzance, Cornwall; they have three adult children.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Height, 5ft4, weight, 11st 7, Body Mass Index (BMI), 27.6 (officially overweight).<\/span><\/p>\n I can\u2019t believe my results \u2014 just 34! It must be my genes: both my grandparents died in their late 90s, and my sister took up athletics at 63 and at 70 is a world-class race walker.<\/p>\n I\u2019d always thought myself averagely healthy \u2014 most of my food is home-cooked with lots of fish, meat and vegetables, and I\u2019ve always been sporty.<\/p>\n \u00a0I was a competitive netball player, playing four or five times a week until I was 46. I swim for 30-40 minutes most days. I used to smoke, but gave up 15 years ago.<\/p>\n Karen La Borde runs a business training ski instructors with her husband and lives near Penzance, Cornwall. They have three adult children<\/p>\n But stopping playing sport has made the weight pile on \u2014 I\u2019m a size 14, but can easily drift up to a 16 thanks to a weakness for chocolate and cheese and onion crisps.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t feel particularly young or old. While I haven\u2019t gone through the menopause, I have wrinkles and I started to go grey in my late 20s.<\/p>\n Given all this, I\u2019d expected my biological result to match my age, I\u2019m absolutely delighted to find I\u2019m the same age as my son and will now definitely eat fewer crisps!<\/p>\n Professor Spector says: \u2018A very impressive result and in fact this result is lower than I would have predicted, as Karen is slightly overweight.<\/p>\n \u2018However, she sounds fit and healthy and has a long history of exercise.<\/p>\n \u2018Her biological age might reflect the high levels of oestrogen caused by her late menopause, and importantly her good genes.<\/p>\n \u2018Grey hair is not a sign your body is ageing prematurely. But wrinkled skin can reflect you\u2019re ageing faster.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n \n TOLD I LOOK YOUNG FOR MY AGE<\/span><\/p>\n Biological age: 59<\/span><\/p>\n Johan Vystavel, a semi-retired investment adviser, lives in London with his wife. They have two adult children.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Height, 6ft2, weight, 15st, BMI, 27 (overweight).<\/span><\/p>\n In the first half of my life, I used to be very active, playing tennis, water-skiing and skiing.<\/p>\n These days I try to exercise every day for at least 30 minutes, including on a rowing machine at home.<\/p>\n I tend to also have a daily walk or cycle in the fresh air. I haven\u2019t worked full time for ten years, but even when I did I never felt stressed, possibly because I worked for myself.<\/p>\n Johan Vystavel is a semi-retired investment adviser, and lives in London with his wife. They have two adult children<\/p>\n I\u2019ve been happily married for 24 years. I\u2019ve eaten a healthy Mediterranean diet most of my life and don\u2019t smoke, but drink up to half a bottle of wine a day.\u00a0<\/p>\n I know it\u2019s more than is recommended, but I believe red wine is good for you.<\/p>\n I get out of breath much earlier than I did 20 years ago, so I know I\u2019m not as fit. But people say I look younger than my age, and I feel younger.\u00a0<\/p>\n I thought the test would say I am slightly younger than 55 so I was surprised and a little disappointed by the result \u2014 I\u2019m now going to work on my fitness.<\/p>\n Professor Spector says:<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n This may be older than Johan would like, but it is an average result.\u00a0<\/p>\n The small difference between his chronological and biological age is considered normal given the margin of error in any blood test.\u00a0<\/p>\n I would suggest losing a little weight and doing more serious exercise.<\/p>\n FULL OF ENERGY BUT SIZE 22<\/span><\/p>\n Biological age: 51<\/span><\/p>\n Helen Dee, a plus-size model and TV and film extra, is divorced and lives in Epsom, Surrey. She has an adult daughter.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Height, 5ft5, weight, 16st, BMI, 37.2 (obese)<\/span><\/p>\n I\u2019m A life-long yo-yo dieter with a weakness for cheese and chocolate and carbs. But I try to go to the gym two or three times a week and do zumba (though back pain restricts me doing this regularly).<\/p>\n I usually go clubbing once a week and I\u2019m always first on the dance floor and the last off.\u00a0<\/p>\n I survive on about four to five hours\u2019 sleep \u2014 a lot of my friends say they\u2019re tired just thinking about my life.<\/p>\n Helen Dee is a plus-size model and TV and film extra, is divorced and lives in Epsom, Surrey. She has an adult daughter<\/p>\n Despite my weight and a few health issues \u2014 tingling in my fingers, acid reflux, and ankle pain (doctors previously tried to blame this on my weight) \u2014 I feel young and healthy and I\u2019ve got loads of energy and was recently rejected for a modelling job for 50-year- olds as they thought I was too young.<\/p>\n But I have just started to go through the menopause and my hair is going grey.<\/p>\n I have to say I\u2019m completely chuffed by my results: I know I\u2019m overweight (dress size 22-24), but this shows you can\u2019t always judge someone\u2019s health by the way they look.\u00a0<\/p>\n Now I would like to reduce my biological age even more, so am going to the gym twice a week and eating more healthily.<\/p>\n Professor Spector says:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Helen is lucky \u2014 we know obesity is linked to increased glycan ageing, but balancing this is the fact she hasn\u2019t yet had any weight-related health issues such as high blood pressure.<\/p>\n Her late menopause may also have helped. It\u2019s interesting people think she\u2019s younger, but this can be deceptive in overweight people as plumpness smooths out wrinkles.<\/p>\n My hunch is that her genes have helped. She could maintain or improve this result if she ate better and lost weight, otherwise I\u2019d expect to see her biological age increasing fast.<\/p>\n HAS MY STRESSFUL JOB AGED ME?<\/span><\/p>\n Biological age: 34<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Dave Watts is a retired civil servant who lives in Romford in Essex with his wife.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Height, 6ft, weight, 14st 9, BMI, 27.8 (overweight).<\/span><\/p>\n For 30 years I worked for the tax office, which I found very stressful.\u00a0<\/p>\n I also piled on the weight, reaching 16 stone, and developed sleep apnoea, which means I woke frequently in the night and was very tired during the day.<\/p>\n I took early retirement in December 2014 and have since walked everywhere.\u00a0<\/p>\n I also swim or go to the gym five days a week, and run once a week and have lost a stone and a half; my sleep apnoea has vastly improved and I\u2019m much less stressed.<\/p>\n Dave Watts is a retired civil servant who lives in Romford in Essex with his wife.\u00a0For 30 years he worked for the tax office, which he found very stressful<\/p>\n I avoid sugary drinks and food and too much salt.\u00a0<\/p>\n I probably drink a little more than I should, with the odd beer and a couple of glasses of wine with my dinner, and have around 30 units a week of alcohol.<\/p>\n Longevity doesn\u2019t run in my family: my mother died of breast cancer at 51, and her three siblings died between 50 and 85.<\/p>\n People often think I\u2019m younger than 55, but I was worried that all the stress in the past aged me so my results were a pleasant shock.<\/p>\n Professor Spector says: This is an amazingly good result, probably due to good genes which also make Dave look young.<\/p>\n His family history is not that great, which highlights that biological ageing and family longevity are not irreversibly bound together.\u00a0<\/p>\n Before he tackled his obesity and stress, I would guess his glycan age would have been ten years older.<\/p>\n POST-MENOPAUSAL BUT FEELS YOUNG<\/span><\/p>\n Biological age: 76<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Joanna Lamiri, from West London, works as a web business administrator, cook and food writer. She\u2019s divorced with two adult children.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Height, 5ft 2, weight, 14st, BMI, 36.5 (obese).<\/span><\/p>\n I\u2019m extremely shocked by my biological age \u2014 I am generally told that I look and seem ten years younger than I am.<\/p>\n Although I\u2019ve recently been through the menopause I certainly feel young and have lots of energy \u2014 I\u2019ve also had no serious illnesses, and hardly ever pick up bugs.<\/p>\n I eat well, trying to avoid processed foods or junk food, and am increasingly adopting a mainly vegetarian diet.\u00a0<\/p>\n I\u2019ve never smoked and come from a reasonably long-lived family \u2014 my grandmother lived to 96, and a great grandmother also lived into her 90s.<\/p>\n Joanna Lamiri, from West London, works as a web business administrator, cook and food writer. She\u2019s divorced with two adult children<\/p>\n But these results have made me take a serious look at my health. My major weakness is sweet things: I adore cakes and puddings, and working from home means I\u2019m never more than six metres from a biscuit tinand I have a big appetite.<\/p>\n I loathe gyms, but walk a lot although I can get very out of breath on exertion, so exercising is difficult. I don\u2019t sleep very well, averaging about five hours.<\/p>\n Because of my glycan result I\u2019ve been to my GP and am being tested for undiagnosed asthma for my breathlessness \u2014 getting this treated could help me exercise more easily. I will also make a real effort to lose weight.\u00a0<\/p>\n I\u2019m having another GlycanAge test in six months, which I hope will show improvements.<\/p>\n Professor Spector says: Jo\u2019s main ageing factors are long-term lack of fitness and being overweight \u2014 the menopause will also contribute.\u00a0<\/p>\n A minority of overweight people can get away with it if they are fit, but most \u2014 either because of genetics or because they aren\u2019t active \u2014 will experience healt problems because they store fat around their organs, which accelerates ageing.<\/p>\n We also believe that stress and how you deal with it plays a major role in glycan ageing.<\/p>\n DID CANCER AGE ME PREMATURELY?<\/span><\/p>\n Biological age: 54<\/span><\/p>\n Sonia Scrimshire runs a consultancy and training business with her husband: they live near Leamington Spa in Warwickshire and have two grown-up children.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Height, 5ft 6, weight, 8st 7, BMI, 19.2 (healthy).<\/span><\/p>\n I\u2019m generally very healthy, with low blood pressure and excellent cholesterol. But in 2007 I was diagnosed with a rare type of cancer which was very stressful.<\/p>\n Since then I\u2019ve had 32 sessions of radiotherapy and 250 hours of chemo which was gruelling, but thankfully I am cured.<\/p>\n Ever since then I\u2019ve taken great care of my health, eating plenty of fruit and vegetables and exercising regularly, walking my two dogs for three miles every day. I go to the gym five times per week, too.<\/p>\n A side-effect of my treatment was that I went into menopause at 46 and I don\u2019t sleep well.<\/p>\n Sonia Scrimshire runs a consultancy and training business with her husband. They live near Leamington Spa in Warwickshire and have two grown-up children<\/p>\n However, I have hardly any grey hairs and most people think I\u2019m in my late 40s, I feel 29 and won\u2019t acknowledge I am middle-aged!<\/p>\n So at first I was disappointed that my glycan age wasn\u2019t even younger, but thinking about it my result is pretty good considering all I\u2019ve been through.\u00a0<\/p>\n I\u2019m very encouraged to think that my healthy lifestyle has helped reverse any damage.<\/p>\n Professor Spector says: \u2018Sonia has a normal result for her age. I think it\u2019s likely her healthy lifestyle has counteracted the stress to her body caused by her cancer.<\/p>\n \u2018The side effects of chemotherapy may well have increased her biological age but if she maintains her current lifestyle, I predict her scores will improve with age.<\/p>\n \u2018We don\u2019t yet know definitely if good sleep helps reduce glycan age, but I would think it does. Also, it\u2019s worth pointing out that people who stay fit and slim will age much slower.\u00a0<\/p>\n WILL ILLNESS HAVE AGED ME, DESPITE SUPER-HEALTHY LIFESTYLE?<\/span><\/p>\n Biological age: 42<\/span><\/p>\n Tracy Posner, who runs a marketing company, lives in West London with her husband. They have two grown-up children.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Height, 5ft 5, weight, 8st, BMI, 19.2 (healthy).<\/span><\/p>\n I\u2019m absolutely delighted by my results – it\u2019s very reassuring and great to know that all the effort I put into exercise and my diet is helping.\u00a0<\/p>\n Ten years ago I was diagnosed with a benign brain tumour: surgery to remove it left me partially paralysed. I was in hospital for three months and had to learn to walk and talk again.\u00a0<\/p>\n This experience made me focus on my health, and I am now one of the healthiest people I know.\u00a0<\/p>\n Tracy Posner runs a marketing company and lives in West London with her husband. They have two grown-up children<\/p>\n I never get so much as a headache or a cold. I exercise for 20 minutes every day on a static bike at home, and I take a Pilates class once a week.\u00a0<\/p>\n I walk as much as I can but my balance was affected by the tumour so I can\u2019t run or dance.\u00a0<\/p>\n I eat a very healthy diet, avoiding meat but having lots of fish and vegetables. I take vitamin and omega 3 supplements.\u00a0<\/p>\n I drink maybe one or two glasses of wine a week and I don\u2019t smoke. I sleep seven hours a night.\u00a0<\/p>\n The researchers are looking for 1,000 volunteers to take two to three GlycanAge tests over three to six months.<\/p>\n This will be in conjunction with lifestyle and diet advice, at a reduced rate of \u00a350 each to examine how lifestyle changes affect a person\u2019 s GlycanAge.\u00a0<\/p>\n To find out more go to glycanage.com<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n To reduce stress I think of it as excitement. I\u2019m menopausal, but haven\u2019t had hot flushes or other unpleasant symptoms, and don\u2019t have a single grey hair.\u00a0<\/p>\n I\u2019m a slim size eight, and my skin is good and taut. My mother is still working as a psychotherapist and looks amazing at 79, my father died of prostate cancer at 84, but my paternal grandfather lived to 92.<\/p>\n Professor Spector says: This is obviously an excellent result, and I\u2019m not surprised.\u00a0<\/p>\n As the tumour was benign, it probably didn\u2019t affect her body or the ageing scores too much and she didn\u2019t have to deal with the chemo drugs.\u00a0<\/p>\n She is slim and healthy with an excellent diet and fitness and copes well with stress. There\u2019s no evidence that taking supplements reduces biological ageing.\u00a0<\/p>\n Tracy\u2019s good skin and the fact that she doesn\u2019t look her age is another sign of her biological youthfulness.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" How old are you? It may seem a facile question, but in fact increasingly research suggests that the number of candles on your birthday cake might not reflect your body\u2019s age \u2014 with implications for your quality of life, and longevity. Just how differently our bodies age can be seen from a pioneering, but simple, Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-121280","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121280","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=121280"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121280\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=121280"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=121280"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=121280"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![](\"http:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/i\/pix\/2016\/10\/10\/12\/3918329400000578-0-image-m-50_1476098720235.jpg\")
The test that saved Ben Stiller’s life: Star credits…<\/span>
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Family of baby whose head has swelled to twice its normal…<\/span>
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Why you should NOT wash your hands: Less soap could be a…<\/span>
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NHS paying \u00a333-an-hour for volunteers willing to have their…<\/span>
\n <\/a>\n <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n![\"Glycan](\"http:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/i\/pix\/2016\/10\/10\/22\/394968BF00000578-0-Glycan_patterns_change_as_a_result_of_the_menopause_because_of_t-a-15_1476136348899.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Karen](\"http:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/i\/pix\/2016\/10\/10\/22\/394A27E300000578-0-Karen_La_Borde_runs_a_business_training_ski_instructors_with_her-m-4_1476136083917.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Johan](\"http:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/i\/pix\/2016\/10\/10\/22\/394A27D900000578-0-image-a-5_1476136117626.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Helen](\"http:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/i\/pix\/2016\/10\/10\/22\/394A27DF00000578-0-Helen_Dee_is_a_plus_size_model_and_TV_and_film_extra_is_divorced-m-12_1476136310925.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Dave](\"http:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/i\/pix\/2016\/10\/10\/22\/394A27AF00000578-0-image-a-7_1476136180426.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Joanna](\"http:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/i\/pix\/2016\/10\/10\/22\/394A27BA00000578-0-image-a-8_1476136216114.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Sonia](\"http:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/i\/pix\/2016\/10\/10\/22\/394A27C400000578-0-image-m-10_1476136252374.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Tracy](\"http:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/i\/pix\/2016\/10\/10\/22\/394A366F00000578-0-image-a-11_1476136272793.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWANT YOUR BIOLOGICAL AGE TESTED?\u00a0<\/span> <\/h3>\n